Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What if my entire day is filled with meetings?
This is a common challenge, especially in management roles. If your calendar is wall-to-wall meetings, your “Big 3” might shift. Your primary job becomes managing those meetings effectively. 1) Block 15 minutes before each meeting to prepare your agenda and desired outcomes. 2) Block 15 minutes after each meeting to debrief and assign action items. These small buffers are your “work” blocks. 3) Aggressively defend a 30-60 minute “No Meetings” block once a day, even during lunch, to simply think and catch up. It’s the only way to shift from being reactive to proactive.
How strict should I be with my time blocks?
Think of them as strong suggestions, not a prison. The goal is intentionality. If you scheduled a block to write a report, but you’re feeling creative and want to work on a presentation instead, that’s okay! You’re still doing productive, high-value work. The danger is swapping a deep work block for scrolling social media. As long as you are consciously choosing to swap one productive task for another, you are still in control of your time. If you consistently ignore a certain block, use your weekly review to ask why. Is it at the wrong time of day? Is the task too daunting? That’s data for improvement.
Digital calendar or paper planner?
Whichever you will consistently use. Digital calendars are great for collaboration, sending invites, and setting reminders. They are easy to edit when your plan changes. Paper planners can feel more tangible and mindful, and some studies suggest writing things down by hand improves retention. There is no right answer. The best tool is the one that reduces friction for you. The principles of this quick weekly planning method work equally well for both.
What if I’m a night owl? Can this still work?
Absolutely. The principles are energy-agnostic. The key is self-awareness. If your peak focus time is from 10 PM to 1 AM, that’s when you should schedule your deep work. Your “morning” might be someone else’s afternoon. The weekly sketch is about matching your most important tasks to your personal energy peaks, whenever they may occur. Simply adjust the timing to fit your natural rhythm.
This feels like a lot of work to set up. Is it worth it?
The initial setup of your calendar categories might take 10 minutes, but it’s a one-time task. The 15-minute weekly planning and 10-minute weekly review are an investment of 25 minutes per week. In return, you gain hours of focused time, reduced stress, and a profound sense of control over your life. You eliminate the constant, low-grade anxiety of “What should I be doing right now?” That is a trade well worth making.
